Attack of the Zombies Lederhosen (2016) (literally: Attack of the zombies in Bavarian panties)
While three young snowboarders find themselves stuck in a ski resort, an epidemic falls and turns people into zombie. Steve is a famous snowboarder, but his loose attitude and his foolery will make him lose his sponsor and Branka, not supporting him anymore, will want to break. At the same time, a new chemical mixture to improve the quality of artificial snow is turned on. Being late in the season, the resort is isolated, and the chemical turns his first victim.
From there, we quickly, and it's fun, face the zombie problem. No need to beat around the bush or the viewer what in suspense for half a movie. The first infected arrive early to the party and the problems start. There is no down time and the story flows gradually, although some scenes would gain in punch and a better pace if they were cut slightly shorter. The structure of the story is predictable and conventional, but it is mainly within the scenes twists, original and creative, who creates fun and entertainment. Humor is built on absurd situations and comic interactions. Comments and references are offbeat, while the reactions seem to come straight out of an episode of Scooby-Doo. It's unsettling at first, but once started, the film remains constant and keeps the tone. For example, the dynamism is based on the outstanding light and alternating between small tensions and (temporary) resolutions to a problem. It's fun and the film does not take itself seriously.
The dialogues are not very well written, simple and tending to the cliché, the quality of a teen movie or b-movie, but all the different values and intentions are present. There are also many moments of tension, changes in tone, the accusations and the excuses, all of which contribute to build the characters and advance their relations and story.
Laurie Calvert gives the impression that by some times he has the same expressions as Matt Damon, but he is doing correctly, his character of Steve being irresponsible but with a good background and being thoughtful. Gabriela Marcinková has more opportunities to develop here character, an autonomous Branka, with personality, an enterprising character and who knows how to use here fists; this did not prevent (and it's a little weird) that she ends up twice on the ground, crawling backwards facing a zombie, being saved only by the arrival of here knight. Margarete Tiesel as Rita is the most original character, colorful and endearing in this film. It is the old landlady and she quickly discover the danger of these brainless creatures. That did not stop her to cope and to show resources.
The use of off-screen action, leaving imagination and sound effects do the rest of the work is in both way a help to save a little of the budget (less than 3 million!), but it also helps in contributing to the humor. However, the green screen is not constant. It is correct in the helicopter, OK on the chairlift but downright bat when Steve is going down the mountain on his snowboard. It was as if I was seeing a scene from an old James Bond. As for the creatures, it is limit of a lower quality than Black Sheep. On the other hand, the acrobatics are fun and Hair-raising, and the brightness is high enough during the night scenes for the film to be nice to see and the action to remain readable.
A genre film assumed, with defects, but light and entertaining. Knowing this, I laughed and had a good time. 7/10
While three young snowboarders find themselves stuck in a ski resort, an epidemic falls and turns people into zombie. Steve is a famous snowboarder, but his loose attitude and his foolery will make him lose his sponsor and Branka, not supporting him anymore, will want to break. At the same time, a new chemical mixture to improve the quality of artificial snow is turned on. Being late in the season, the resort is isolated, and the chemical turns his first victim.
From there, we quickly, and it's fun, face the zombie problem. No need to beat around the bush or the viewer what in suspense for half a movie. The first infected arrive early to the party and the problems start. There is no down time and the story flows gradually, although some scenes would gain in punch and a better pace if they were cut slightly shorter. The structure of the story is predictable and conventional, but it is mainly within the scenes twists, original and creative, who creates fun and entertainment. Humor is built on absurd situations and comic interactions. Comments and references are offbeat, while the reactions seem to come straight out of an episode of Scooby-Doo. It's unsettling at first, but once started, the film remains constant and keeps the tone. For example, the dynamism is based on the outstanding light and alternating between small tensions and (temporary) resolutions to a problem. It's fun and the film does not take itself seriously.
The dialogues are not very well written, simple and tending to the cliché, the quality of a teen movie or b-movie, but all the different values and intentions are present. There are also many moments of tension, changes in tone, the accusations and the excuses, all of which contribute to build the characters and advance their relations and story.
Laurie Calvert gives the impression that by some times he has the same expressions as Matt Damon, but he is doing correctly, his character of Steve being irresponsible but with a good background and being thoughtful. Gabriela Marcinková has more opportunities to develop here character, an autonomous Branka, with personality, an enterprising character and who knows how to use here fists; this did not prevent (and it's a little weird) that she ends up twice on the ground, crawling backwards facing a zombie, being saved only by the arrival of here knight. Margarete Tiesel as Rita is the most original character, colorful and endearing in this film. It is the old landlady and she quickly discover the danger of these brainless creatures. That did not stop her to cope and to show resources.
The use of off-screen action, leaving imagination and sound effects do the rest of the work is in both way a help to save a little of the budget (less than 3 million!), but it also helps in contributing to the humor. However, the green screen is not constant. It is correct in the helicopter, OK on the chairlift but downright bat when Steve is going down the mountain on his snowboard. It was as if I was seeing a scene from an old James Bond. As for the creatures, it is limit of a lower quality than Black Sheep. On the other hand, the acrobatics are fun and Hair-raising, and the brightness is high enough during the night scenes for the film to be nice to see and the action to remain readable.
A genre film assumed, with defects, but light and entertaining. Knowing this, I laughed and had a good time. 7/10